Cosmos # 22

In the winter of 1977, Assistant Coach Chip Dorwin of the Springfield High School Cosmos boys varsity basketball team is handing out the game uniforms before the start of the season. He offers the #23 jersey to a scrawny, 5' 7 1/2 ", 135 pound, bow-legged kid who had just barely made the team. The kid knows better not to touch that one. #23 was worn by legendary SHS athlete Greg Birsky who owned the career scoring record of 1,466 points. The kid watched Greg play spectacularly for four years. Birsky ended his career in Burlington with a loss to Mt. Anthony in the State Finals game but played brilliantly.
#23, was his hero.
"No way, that number should be retired!", the would-be #23 cries.
He takes #22 instead.

pic -1979 - #22 for the Cosmos looks to pass, not shoot. Still needs a haircut.
(source: SHS 1979 Yearbook)


In the winter of 1979, with four or five games left in the regular season, Head Coach Richie Wyman pulls that same short, scrawny, bow-legged kid, #22, off the end of the bench and starts him at point guard. The team goes on to win the rest of the regular season games and hosts their first playoff game at home versus Montpelier. The Solons are coming off a State Championship in football. Also, they beat the Cosmos badly in their own Christmas Tournament title game earlier in the season.
The opening tip of the game falls into the lap of #22 and he waltzes in for an easy layup. But the ball never reaches the rim, as it is unceremoniously swatted off the backboard. The big boys had come to play. But #22 is not rattled. On defense, he plays 'free safety' the entire game and doesn't allow the run and gun Solons to get any cheap fast break points - points that had killed them in December. He also makes sure he has a hand in the face - sometimes fingers near the eyeballs - of the outside Solon sharpshooters and they miss a bundle. #22 doesn't turn the ball over the in the back court and finds Farmer Lockwood underneath for a few easy lay-ins in the half court offense. Late in the fourth quarter with the Cosmos running away with it he takes his second shot of the game, a wide open 20 footer, that goes 19 feet and sails wide left out of bounds. The stat sheet shows 3 fouls, no points and one W. Springfield goes on to play Brattleboro in the next round, with the winners advancing to the Division I State Tournament (final four?) at UVM in Burlington. The playoff game is played in Bellows Falls gym, a neutral court that has an odd rubber spongy surface. During the opening layup drills before the game #22 is as pumped up as he has ever been. He takes a pass, two steps, bounces toward the basket. Suddenly, he is soaring - soaring in uncharted territory, his head way up near the net, and he has to duck (duck!) at the last second so he won't hit his head on the rim. The layup slams off the backboard and misses everything. He is stunned. Had anyone seen that?! No one? Yet, he still remembers the rim in his face as if it was yesterday. His memory is like a dream where he is flying, regretting he had not composed himself and dunked it... The Cosmos lead the game at half time by a single point. The Brattleboro Colonels pull away in the second half, shooting a ton of free throws. With the game winding down, #22 steals the ball in the back court on a press. While he pulls the ball free he turns and in one motion sends up an awkward looking hook shot from 20+ feet toward the basket and it miraculously rolls around the rim a couple of times and falls in. His only two points of the game. The Brattleboro player looks at him in disbelief and all he does is smile, trying not to laugh. On the ensuing possession #22 commits his fifth foul and is sent to the bench. Fouled out. His season and his beloved high school hoops career ignanimously over. His dream of playing in Burlington for a State Title gone.

pic - The 1978-79 Springfield Cosmos Boys Varsity Basketball Team:
Back row left to right: Coach Richie Wyman, Kurt Rushton, Pete Hake, Kurt Martin, Bob Frawley, Chris Wood, Ben Mellish, Mike Porter, Scott Harrison, Manager Kirk Messer
Front row: co-captains Brad Lockwood and Glenn Cioffi.
(source: SHS 1979 Yearbook)

Flash forward thirty years to the winter of 2009.

That scrawny kid is now 47 years old, with a family, college tuition for his daughter due, a mortgage and a two hour round-trip commute. He has been through an awful lot in three decades - but he still plays pickup hoops and he loves to shoot this (not so) new thing called "The Three". And he still remembers. He gets an email from his sister with a link to a website that is going to show a Vermont high school basketball game *live* online on February 28, 2009. The Springfield Cosmos are playing.

He logs in and watches the whole game and he remembers.

The 2009 Springfield Cosmos boys varsity basketball team is playing for the Division II Vermont State Championship against the Vergennes Commodores. The title games are now played at the Aud in Barre, the home of the semi-pro Vermont Frost Heaves. The #4 seed Cosmos come out and play well against a strong #2 seed Commodores team, but somehow trail by one point at half time. The Cosmos defense then shuts down the Commodores and hold them to eight points total in the second half and crush them 59-31. An absolutely brilliant game is played by #22 for the Cosmos, who totally dominates, scoring 13 points in the third quarter alone and finishes with 33 points - outscoring Vergennes single-handedly. He makes five three pointers. The Cosmos had won their first boys State Championship in basketball in 49 years!

pic- The scoreboard at the Aud. The Cosmos as Guests victorious.
(source: Vic Baskevich)

The 47 year old #22 sits at his computer in disbelief. He has just watched his dream come true! But it is only a dream. And like a dream, he is not really there. He is not being interviewed on TV and he is not holding a shiny trophy over his head as the townspeople rise as one and cheer him. It is someone else living his dream. Same number, but the younger #22 is much bigger - 6'2" and probably weighs 180+ - and eminently more talented in every way.


pic - 2009 - #22 for the Cosmos jumps center for the Cosmos in the opening tip against Mill River. Who is this guy?! (source: http://www.sevtsports.net)



pics - #22 dominating the boards against the Mill River Rats in the quarterfinal game. He does it all. (source: http://www.sevtsports.net)

pic - #22 takes down a rebound to add on to his 33 point performance against Vergennes in the state title game. You can watch the full game archive here. Incredible!
(source: http://www.sevtsports.net)

The younger #22 is named Grant White. Now an instant Cosmo legend, if you say his name fast it even sounds like "Green 'n White". Incredibly, he broke #23 Greg Birsky's career scoring record. Grant was the star quarterback on the SHS Football team that won the State Title in that sport just months earlier. (In November, I wrote about the SHS state championship in football here.) Grant is the pride of the small town. He is described by town elders as, "One of the nicest and best athletes I've ever seen. good kid, good family, good grades. Still deciding whether to play football or basketball in college. Lots of interest in him."

The older #22 sighs and mumbles to himself... well, at least I got good grades.

GO COSMOS!